Core Notes

Dear TCS Families,

Welcome back and Happy New Year! This newsletter includes recent news and happenings from across the Tuscaloosa City School District. The semester has only just begun but we are off to a running start.

Also, something to note, as weather can be unpredictable this time of year. Please make sure you are weather aware. As we experienced Tuesday at Northridge High School, Northridge Middle and Verner Elementary, storms can cause unexpected damage and/or power outages that affect valuable classroom time. Still, we appreciate your flexibility as we navigated the power outage.

We are going to have a virtual day TOMORROW, Friday, Jan. 12 due to a threat of severe weather, including high winds and possible tornadoes. Schools will be closed tomorrow as students will stay home for the virtual day. There will be schoolwork assigned but not due on Friday. The schools will communicate the timeline by which it needs to be completed. All after school activities tomorrow will be cancelled.

There is also very cold winter weather forecasted next week, so please stay tuned and aware.

Finally, there is no school on Monday, Jan. 15 due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We hope you enjoy the day with your friends and family and we can't wait to see students back on Tuesday, Jan. 16!

- Dr. Mike Daria,

TCS Superintendent

The Tuscaloosa City School Board recognized eight teachers Tuesday who recently became National Board Certified Teachers. NBCT is the highest certification a teacher can obtain, which is designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers. The newly-certified NBCTs include:

Avina Bailey - The Alberta School of Performing Arts

Morgan Bishop - Northridge Middle School

Lauren Blair - Northridge Middle School

Brandon Morgan - Central High School

Allison Sanders - Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools-Middle

Erica Thompson - Paul W. Bryant High School

Rachel Watson -The Alberta School of Performing Arts

Amber Whitcomb - Woodland Forrest Elementary School

During the meeting, another nine teachers were recognized because they are already NBCTs but they also, after five years, have gone back to receive their "Maintenance of Certificate." Those teachers include:

Lisa Berger - Central Support Team
Wendy Bramlett -Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools-Middle

Dania Buchanan - Brewer Porch

Kathryn Busby -Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools-Elementary

Laren Hammonds - Northridge Middle School

Shelly Huver -Northridge Middle School

Haley Morris - Skyland Elementary

Ryan Rust -Northridge Middle School

Megan Sherman - University Place Elementary

Juerette Thomas - The Alberta School of Performing Arts

"There's nothing more indicative of your character and your dedication, than going above and beyond, and that is what yall have done, especially to the people who have continued to go above and beyond and get re-certified," said Board Chair Eric Wilson. "This is what TCS is about. Becoming the best you can be and going above the call of duty. So from us, Thank you for taking your livelihood and job so seriously. It make a difference to us, and it makes a difference to the schools and the kids that you teach."

In total, the city schools have 51 National Board Certified Teachers, with the first local cohort of NBCT in 2016. Nationally, 3% of teachers are National Board Certified.

The Tuscaloosa City School Board voted to reorganize its Central Office Tuesday, in a continued effort to save cost and focus its budget on classroom services.

As part of the restructuring, there will no longer be an Office of Learning Supports. The change will save the school system approximately $240,000 a year. There were no layoffs in the restructuring.

The administrative costs for the Tuscaloosa City Schools are now at 4.1% of the school system's total budget, which is well below the 5% threshold recommended by the Alabama Department of Education.

Curious about what will happen in case of severe weather? There may be times that the Tuscaloosa City Schools may have to close due to inclement weather. TCS administrators keep a close watch on weather forecasts with constant updates from the national weather service. When school closures are needed, that decision is made following discussions with local meteorologists and often in coordination with the Tuscaloosa County School System.

Student safety, including during severe weather, is a always a top priority. Unfortunately, severe weather is an occurrence that picks up in the winter and spring, especially in Alabama. Please stay weather aware.

School closure announcements will be made via social media, phone and email when schools have to close. However, we will make up instructional time in-person if a full day of school is missed.

Check out our weather policies and terminology here: News / Emergency Communications (tuscaloosacityschools.com)

A new version of the TuscaloosaCitySchools.com website went live on Wednesday, Jan. 10, as well as new school websites!

Much of the same information will be found on the new website as the old, although the home pages for both the district page and the school pages are cleaner in design and should be easier to navigate. Check out some of the TCS intiatives stories under the "Learn More" section, or find out what TCS students and staff are saying about their school in the "From our Community" section of the main page.

To access Classlink or Powerschool, see a zoning map or to report bullying, go to the "I Want To" drop down button in the top right corner, and then select which option you would like to use.

Check out the new pictures on the TCS and school pages - you may just recognize a child you know!

The City of Tuscaloosa voted last month to allow a referendum regarding future funding for the Tuscaloosa City Schools. Now, it will go before the state legislature for approval before the issue can be placed on the ballot for the public to vote on August 27, 2024.

Background on the issue:

On. Oct. 17, the Tuscaloosa City School board unanimously voted to offer a tax referendum in 2024 to allow voters to decide whether to increase property taxes to support TCS. According to the resolution, if city voters approved a tax referendum in August 2024, the city's property tax millage rate could increase by up to 11.5 mills.

That which would generate around $17.25 million a year starting in 2025 for the Tuscaloosa City Schools. Currently, the millage rate for homeowners in Tuscaloosa is 51.5 mills, of which the Tuscaloosa City Schools receive 15.5 mills, plus an additional 1.8 mill. The referendum, if approved, would increase the millage rate that the Tuscaloosa City Schools receive by 11.5 mills--about a 22 percent increase of the city's total millage rate. The last time local tax rates were increased to support the Tuscaloosa City Schools was in 1986.

If approved by voters, the new revenue would benefit three areas:

• School safety: ensuring there are school resource officers in each and every school during the school day and beefing up security infrastructure.

• Educator Excellence: retaining and recruiting the best and the brightest educators through competitive pay and benefits.

• Premier Student Programs/Services: Making sure that the current programs continue, and rigorous academic opportunities and student programs are expanded.

Passage of the referendum would also protect current programming and services. If the referendum is not approved, TCS will be required to make additional cuts, including reducing up to 50 educators serving our students, including music, art, workforce development, administrative support/central support, and student support services (social workers, nurses.) The system would also be forced to remain stagnant on educator compensation and it could decrease the ability the ensure future funding of essential safety needs.

For more information on the details of the proposed referendum, go to: Referendum / Referendum (tuscaloosacityschools.com)

Two Northridge High School counselors were recognized recently for going above and beyond in their first year in the role.

"Mrs. Wilson and Ms. Humber have served alongside me as the new counselors at NHS and have been incredible mentors for me, as this is my first year. They have done an amazing job with rebuilding the program here, as all four of the previous counselors left and we were all hired over the summer. They have spent their own money and a lot of time outside of school to improve the program and create meaningful connections with the staff and students. They are so hardworking, dedicated, and caring. They make coming to work such a joy for me and everyone else, and they deserve the world!" submitted by Haley Tolbert, counselor at Northridge High School.

Submit your own "Everyday Amazing" shoutout about a TCS employee making a positive impact: https://survey.k12insight.com/r/everydayamazing

Attendance is critical to future success. Please make sure your child is at school, on time, each and every day!

BSN Sports has set up online "swag stores" for our schools where any student, faculty or parent can buy school branded gear. This was a desire that was expressed by students during the Superintendent's student advisory meetings at the high schools last school year.

The "swag" on these sites include a variety of price points, brands, and are in men's, women's and children's sizes, plus they have cups and other items as well. On the main page, they also have gear per sport.

There is also branded gear for the elementary and middle schools, too! To see the middle school and elementary options, on the desktop website, once you have clicked on the type of item to browse, you can go to the sidebar where it says "campus" and then select feeder school, where the items will pop up with other school names. Select the school that you want.

Each feeder zone will receive 10% back of all purchases in the form of a store credit/rebate that can be used for future branded purchases by the school(s). So, support your school and show school pride!

Northridge feeder zone store: NORTHRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL JAGUARS - TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - Sideline Store - BSN Sports

Central feeder zone store: CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL FALCONS - TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - Sideline Store - BSN Sports

Bryant feeder zone store: PAUL W BRYANT HIGH SCHOOL STAMPEDE - COTTONDALE, Alabama - Sideline Store - BSN Sports

The Tuscaloosa City Schools is providing free lunch and breakfast for all students for the 2023-24 school year.

That’s because TCS qualified for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Eligibility Provision program that provides all students in the district free breakfast and lunch.

While breakfast and lunch is free, A-la-carte items will still be available for purchase at each school. Parents may want to make any applicable changes to their child's PayPAMS account. Student account balances, positive and negative, have not changed. Any money left on a child's account can be used to purchase extra items in the cafeteria. No items may be 'charged' to a student's account unless he/she has money in the account.

Teachers, staff and visitors will still be required to pay for meals. The cost for those non-student meals are $2.85 for breakfast and $4.35 for lunch.

It is important to remember that if you or your child see or hear something concerning, please report it to your school's principal. It can be the first step to saving a situation from becoming dangerous. Again, "See Something, Say Something!"